Ezra 10
1 As Ezra prayed and confessed, he wept and threw himself down before God's house. A very great assembly of Israelite men, women, and children gathered to him, for the people were weeping very greatly.
As Ezra was praying and confessing sins, weeping and falling down on his face before God's Temple, a very large crowd of Israelites, men, women, and children, gathered around him. The people were weeping bitterly as well.
2 Shekaniah son of Jehiel of the descendants of Elam said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the people of the other lands. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel.
Shecaniah, son of Jehiel, an Elamite, said to Ezra: “Yes, we have been unfaithful to our God because we have married foreign women from the people of the land. But even so there is still hope for Israel over this.
3 So now let us make a covenant with our God to send out all the women and their children according to the Lord's instructions and the instructions of those who tremble at the commandments of our God, and let it be done according to the law.
Let us make a solemn agreement right now before our God that we will send away all the foreign wives and their children. We will follow the directions given by you and those who respect the instructions of our God, carried out according to the Law.
4 Arise, for this thing is for you to carry out, and we are with you. Be strong and do this.”
Take action! It's your responsibility. We are with you. Be brave and do it!”
5 So Ezra rose and made the priestly officials, the Levites, and all of Israel promise to act in this way. So they all took a solemn oath.
So Ezra stood up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all the Israelites present take an oath to act on what had just been said. They all took the oath.
6 Then Ezra rose from before God's house and went to the rooms of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He did not eat any bread or drink any water, since he was mourning concerning the faithlessness of those who had been in captivity.
Then Ezra left them in front of God's Temple, and went to the room of Jehohanan, son of Eliashib. During the time he stayed there, he didn't eat or drink anything, because he was still mourning the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
7 So they sent word in Judah and Jerusalem to all the people back from exile to assemble in Jerusalem.
Then a proclamation was issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should assemble in Jerusalem.
8 Anyone who did not come in three days according to the instructions from the officials and elders forfeited all of his possessions and would be excluded from the great assembly of the people who had come back from exile.
Anyone who did not come within three days would have all their property confiscated, and would be banned from the assembly of the exiles. This was the decision of the leaders and elders.
9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem in three days. It was the ninth month and the twentieth day of the month. All the people stood in the square before God's house and trembled because of the word and the rain.
Within three days, everyone from Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem. On the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people sat in the square beside God's Temple, shivering because of this issue and also because of the heavy rain.
10 Ezra the priest arose and said, “You yourselves have committed treason. You lived with foreign women so as to increase Israel's guilt.
Ezra the priest stood up and told them, “You have committed sin by marrying foreign women, making Israel's guilt even worse.
11 But now give praise to Yahweh, your ancestors' God, and do his will. Separate from the people of the land and from the foreign women.”
Now you must confess your sin to the Lord, the God of your forefathers, and do what he requires. Sever your connections with the people of the land and your foreign wives.”
12 All the assembly answered in a loud voice, “We will do as you have said.
The whole assembly answered in a loud voice: “We agree, and we promise to do as you say!
13 However, there are many people, and it is the rainy season. We have no strength to stand outside, and this is not only one or two days of work, since we have greatly transgressed in this matter.
But there are a lot of people here, and it's pouring with rain. We can't stay outside. More to the point, this isn't something that can be fixed in one or two days, for we have sinned extremely seriously in this.
14 So let our officials represent all the assembly. Let all who have allowed foreign women to live in our cities come at the time that will be fixed with the city elders and the city judges until the raging wrath of our God goes away from us.”
Let our leaders act on behalf of the whole assembly. Then let every man in each of our towns who has married a foreign woman be given an appointment to come and meet, together with the elders and judges of that town, until our God is no longer angry with us over this.”
15 Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.
The only ones to oppose this were Jonathan, son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah, son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite.
16 So the people who returned from exile did this. Ezra the priest selected men, the leaders in their ancestors' clans and houses—all of them by name, and they looked into the matter on the first day of the tenth month.
So this what the exiles did, selecting Ezra the priest and family leaders, according to their family divisions, all of them specifically named. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to begin the inquiry,
17 By the first day of the first month they had finished discovering which men had lived with foreign women.
and by the first day of the first month they had finished handling all the cases of men who had married foreign women.
18 Among the descendants of the priests there were those who had lived with foreign women. Among the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers there were Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women: from the sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
19 So they determined to send their wives away. Since they were guilty, they offered a ram from the flock for their guilt.
They vowed to send their wives away, and they presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering for their guilt.
20 Among the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
From the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
21 Among the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
From the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22 Among the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
From the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah—that is, Kelita, Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (or Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 Among the singers: Eliashib. Among the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
Among the singers: Eliashib. Among the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 Among the rest of the Israelites—among the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah.
Among the Israelites: From the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah.
26 Among the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
From the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
27 Among the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
From the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
28 Among the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
From the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
29 Among the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluk, Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal Jeremoth.
From the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.
30 Among the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
From the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
31 Among the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
From the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Benjamin, Malluk, and Shemariah.
Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
33 Among the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
From the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
34 Among the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
From the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,
Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.
Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.
38 Among the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,
From the sons of Binnui: Shimei,
39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
40 Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
43 Among the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
From the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
44 All of these had taken foreign wives and had children with some of them.
All of these men listed had married foreign women. They divorced them and sent them away with their children.
